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C. & G. GROSS.

CARRIAGE TOP.

Patented May 1 1882 I III I/ I wmm ATTORNEYS.

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(No Modl.) zsneet-sneet 2. C. 8; G. GROSS.

GARRIAGE TOP. 'No. 258,055. Patented May 16, 1882.

WITNESSES INVENTOR:

ATTORNEYS.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIcE.

CONRAD GROSS AND GOTTFRIED GROSS, OF RIGHMOND, VIRGINIA.

CARRIAG E-TO P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 258,055, dated May 16, 1882.

I Application filed March 2,1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CONRAD GRoss and GOTTFRIED Gnoss, of Richmond, in the county of He'nrico and State of Virginia, have invented a new and Improved Carriage-Top, of which ,the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Our invention relates to that class of carriage-tops which fold back when not in use.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a carriagebody provided with our improvement, showing the top down; and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same, showing the top raised. Fig. 3 is a side view, showing the appearance of our invention when attached to a large carriage or laudau.

A is the carriage-body. B is the top, being composed of two sections, band b The front section, b, is connected to two posts, 0, by hinges b and the rear section, 11 is attached to the posts D by hinges I). The posts 0 are provided with studs 0, which are inserted in sockets c in the body of the carriage when the cover is raised, and secured therein by springcatches of any suitable construction. The posts D are hinged to the body of thecarriage at the point marked d, and when the top is lowered they lie in recesses aof the body A. The posts 0 are hinged to the rear section, 12*, of the top B by means of a double hinge, E, secured to the inner sides of said posts and top. The section I) of the top is provided with studs 0 for engagement with the sockets in section b when the top is raised, and rendering the same more steady and secure.

The operation of raising and lowering our improved carriage-top is as follows: To lower it the studs 0 of the posts G are released from the spring-catches which secure them in their sockets c and raised up parallel with the section b of the top, where they are held by springhinges. The section b is then raised up until it is vertical, and then the posts D are pushed back, when the parts will fall into the positions shown in Fig, 1. To'raise it the section b is pulled forward, the posts 0 bent down, and

the studs 0 are inserted in their sockets secured byv the spring-catches.

The manner of applying our invention to a landau or large carriage is shown in Fig. 3. The posts F shown therein are for the purpose of supporting the front portion of the top. They are provided with studs j, which engage with sockets in the front part, G, of the carriage, in the same manner as the studs cofthe posts C. The said studs f may also be provided with spring-catches to secure them in their sockets. When the top is to be raised the posts F are released from their sockets, and, beinghinged at the top, are swung laterally inward and upward against the sections bof the top, and they may be held in that position by spring-catches of any suitable construction. The section b being hinged to the bars D, which are themselves hinged to the carriage-body, as in Figs. 1 and 2, and both the sections 1) and I) being hinged to the bars 0, said bars 0 may be lifted from their foot sockets and raised, carrying with them the sections. b I) and front posts, F, to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, whereupon on folding the jointed side braces, o, of the back cover of the vehicle the whole top maybe swung over backward on the hinges at the lower ends of bars D to a horizontal or lowered position.

The advantages of our invention are that the inner lining of the top is protected from sun and rain, and the top is more easily adjusted, and when lowered and folded, as shown in Fig. 1, it presents a neat appearance and is out of the way.

Having thus fully described our invention, we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent The combination, with the carriage-body, of the posts D, hinged to said body, the top section, 11 hinged to said posts, the top section, b, and the posts 0, hinged to section b and removably jointed to the body, as shown and described.

c and oo'NEAD enoss. GOTTFRIED GROSS.

Witnesses HENRY O. GARRETT, HENRY KUoHEMANN. 

